Bangkok bike bungle: Drunk taxi driver’s crash leads to two injuries

A drunk Thai taxi driver crashed his car into four motorcycles in Soi Ratchadaphisek 66 in Bangkok resulting in two injuries. He initially claimed he was not drunk and that the bottles found in his car contained milk, not alcohol.

Ratchadaphisek neighbourhood residents stopped the 52 year old taxi driver, Udon, on Saturday, July 13, who had fled the scene after crashing into the motorcycles and injuring two women sitting on the roadside.

Prachachuen Police Station officers were called to the scene to apprehend Udon. A witness recorded the conversation between Udon and the police, sharing it on the news Facebook page, เจ๊ม้อย v+, yesterday, July 16.

In the video, the taxi driver insists he was not drunk despite a bottle of alcohol being visible on the driver’s seat. Channel 7 reported that Udon also falsely claimed it was a milk bottle.

A rescue team took the two injured women to the hospital. There has been no report on their condition.

Udon later surrendered to the police the following day. This time, he confessed to the accident and admitted to consuming alcohol before driving.

Udon claimed he had not been drinking in the car but had consumed alcohol at home before driving out to find food. He said he was unaware he had crashed into the motorcycles and the two victims due to a bend in the road.

Police officers told Channel 8 that an alcohol test conducted on the day of the incident showed Udon had 162 milligrammes percent of alcohol in his system, far exceeding the legal limit of 50 milligrammes percent.

With clear evidence, Udon was charged under Section 390 of the Criminal Law: driving recklessly and causing injury to another person. This carries a penalty of up to one month’s imprisonment, a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or both.

He also faces up to three months’ imprisonment or a fine of 2,000 to 10,000 baht for violating Section 78 of the Land Transport Act: causing damage to another’s property while driving.